Bicycles may not be ridden on the sidewalk FOR ANY REASON, unless the rider is under 13 years of age.

If you want to avoid unsafe street conditions or a traffic jam, walk your bike on the sidewalk.

Like a car, bicyclists must yield to pedestrians in sidewalks.

Seriously. Don’t be a jerk.

“Filtering” through traffic to the front of the line of cars stopped at a red light is illegal.

If you get hit by a car door or a turning car while filtering, you the bicyclist is at fault.

Motor vehicle operators or passengers must make sure it is safe to exit into moving traffic. In other words, they need to check before opening their car doors. They bear the legal responsibility in dooring incidents.

Bikes in bike lanes

Bike lanes are one-direction only, unless the lane is explicitly marked as two-directional.

Bike lanes can be marked with a variety of parking signs. Here is what they mean:

No Parking: Vehicles may not park, but may load/unload for up to 20 minutes (eg. groceries, FedEx trucks).

No Standing: Vehicles may not park or load/unload goods, but can drop off/pick up people (eg. taxis).

No Stopping: Vehicles may not stop for any reason except to obey other traffic laws or in case of emergency.

Equipment

Bicycles are required to have a front white light and a back red reflector.

A back red light is highly, highly encouraged. Bike lights are not so you can see your way; it’s so others can see you.

Adults do not have to wear a helmet. In Pennsylvania, all children under age 13 must wear a helmet.

But seriously – wear a helmet. You don’t want an unexpected fall to give you a concussion or worse.

A bicycle can carry only as many riders as there are seats.

Bicycles must have brakes.

We have not heard of any people riding brake-less fixies being cited for breaking this rule.

That said, riding a fixie without brakes is really bad for your knees.

Bicyclists (and motorists) are prohibited from wearing headphones.

Bicycles are required to have bells.

Enforcement of this rule is virtually unheard of.

Locking Your bicycle

You may lock your bike to:

Bike racks placed in the sidewalk, or bike corrals placed in the street.

Public street poles or parking meters, so long as you do not block the pedestrian right-of-way; ie, prevent people or wheelchairs from easily getting past your bike.

Parking signs designating handicapped parking locations.

You are prohibited from locking your bike to:

Trees. In addition to it being illegal, locks damage trees and this encourages thieves to cut or knock down trees in order to steal your bike.

Objects on private property. This includes railings or fences on private property, the little fences around trees embedded in sidewalks, and chain link fences.

Bike racks placed on private property. These racks’ availability are at the discretion of the property owner.

The railings of trolley stations in the middle of Girard Avenue.

Other places where the City or SEPTA has erected No Bike Parking signs.

Businesses and property owners are not allowed to post “No Bike Parking” signs, or remove bicycles locked to street furniture in the sidewalk.

Fines and Links

Click on the table below for a list of fines (current as of April 2014).

There are some outdated links to the Philadelphia Code available via Google Search. For the most recent code, look here or navigate to it through the links available on the City of Philadelphia website.